Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Companions mixed fan base (some spoilers)

Fair enough,

I don't care for Lae'zel because she's haughty, condescending in the extreme, has a superiority complex a mile high, but primarily because she never treats the player character with anything even approaching basic decency or respect, and though it makes a certain amount of racially understood sense for her, a raving racist as well - in short, she's a nasty piece of work and a product of her cultural upbringing, and the nuances of her supposed insecurities that they're trying to suggest don't even make a dent on that negative for me. She is not the kind of person I'd ever choose to spend time around willingly.

I don't care for Shadowheart because she's haughty, condescending in the extreme, has a superiority complex a mile high, but primarily because she's an entitled brat who thinks the deserves the world from everyone but owes no-one anything. I'm put off her further becasue of her obvious golden-child favoured status at Larian HQ. She has more balanced characterisation now, but all of the old stuff still exists, which give her a sort of split personality issue that Larian haven't smoothed over yet. If someone insisted on knowing things about me and claimed it was their right, after refusing absolutely to tell me anything at all about herself, and condescended to me about it being none of my business, but also found the space to condescend further at me about how she could read me like a book and knew exactly the sort of person I was, I'd walk away, and I'd refuse to associate with that person any further - they are not worth it.

I don't care for Astarion because he's haughty, frequently condescending, but primarily because he's a walking, talking two-dimensional vampire romance fiction garbage fire that is hitting all of those predictable, worn out cliches in perfect iambic pentameter, and received the dubious honour of being Larian's "let's just murder everyone" character - because Larian feels compelled to always HAVE one, and he's it in this game. He's also their token undead character, which they also feel compelled to have one of in each game... not for any reason, but just because it's what Larian do... rather than giving us some actually decent racial diversity in the character line-up. I would never willingly spend my time in the company of someone who just thinks that killing people is fun and funny, and an appropriate course of action tog et what you want, as Astarion clearly does.

I don't care for Wyll because he's show-boater hiding a bloody-minded, sadistic desire for revenge underneath the facade of being a hero, and because he refuses to treat the player with the kind of basic respect and decency that normal people do. He lies, then treats you like an idiot when you call him out on it, treats you even more disrespectfully by lying to you further, and further again; each step of his plan turns out to be another fib inside another fib, and I don't feel I can really trust a single thing he says to me, at any point, now. He tells himself he wants to be good - maybe he even believes it - and surely if he was asked to choose simply 'be good or don't, he'd choose good... but actually being a good person is many rungs down his importance ladder, underneath his personal vendettas and his revenge. He's more interested in being seen to be good than actually being so; he's selfish and shallow, despite wishing he was otherwise. If I am honest, I would have severed ties after the third direct-to-face lie; not worth it.

I quite like Gale. His introduction is still very condescending, and that's annoying, but it's the worst bit of him, now. Gale always treats the character with respect, whether he's asking for help or explaining something to them. He retains a balance of levity and gravity in his approach to the seriousness of your situation, and upholds the idea that even if things are desperate, there's always time for civility. I like gale because he is honest and upfront as a character; he's as honest as Lae'zel, and it means more from him because he has the wit and tact not to be if he chose to - while she does not. Gale is clear and forthright about his condition, most of our other companions, and I appreciate this. He also seems to very honestly want to do the right thing by people wherever possible, without being an irrational idealist. He asks for what he needs, offers what answers he can, and rather than lying about anything, simply tells you, politely, when he cannot answer something (unlike shadow, who is always rude in her refusals). He displays a willingness to protect others from his own mistakes, even when it's going to cost him his life, and has done his best to take precautions against others being harmed by his past mistakes as best as he can. It also seems that he's not trying to repeat his mistake, but actually just wants to fix it. I enjoy his academic wit and banter; he's my type, at least as far as males are concerned. I would quite willingly spend an adventure with this character.

Most of the above complaints are more attributable to Larian's writing of the characters, rather than the characters themselves, which is why I'm more inclined to discuss the actual details of their situations. Larian has been praised of many things... the writing in their games is definitely not one of them.